Bands

The Gathering

"Always..." was The Gathering's debut full-length album. Originally released in 1992 , it is a prime example of classic atmospheric death/doom metal influenced by bands such as Celtic Frost, as well as the implementation of keyboards to accentuate the dark ambience.

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The GatheringAlways...

Biography

The Gathering: a bright, unwavering star in the musical firmament for nearly a quarter century. From the very first record in 1992, Always…, the Dutch collective has consistently garnered attention from fans and music press. Sifting through and discussing every album, they never stop trying to unravel the secret behind the musical experience the band wraps around the listener. Unlike any other band, The Gathering knows how to create a unique atmosphere: intense, colorful, relevant and groundbreaking.

Founded as a symphonic death metal band, The Gathering explored and defined various genres: from metal to trip-hop; from ambient to progressive rock. As such, every record is different, but all bear the unmistakable Gathering-signature. From the iconic 1995 album Mandylion, to the lauded 2012 release Disclosure: the band never stopped evolving. That this continuous evolution resonates on a global scale shows both in the sale of over a million albums and in the band’s many headline tours in the U.S., South America and Europe. The Gathering recorded two of these concerts on DVD: Santiago , Chile (A Noise Severe) and Amsterdam (A Sound Relief), the latter being awarded an Edison for best live recording. The Gathering also played at several major festivals such as – among others – Glastonbury, Lowlands, Rock am Ring, Roskilde and Dynamo Open Air.

After the eighth album, Home, singer Anneke van Giersbergen left the group, and in 2009 the band welcomed Norwegian singer Silje Wergeland into its ranks. Her voice and influence fit the well-known Gathering-atmosphere perfectly, as evidenced on the band’s latest feat: Afterwords. This new album consists of nine tracks, three of which had previously been available only on the vinyl EP Afterlights, as well as six new songs.

Afterwords, too, draws the listener into a world of firm rock, artfully interspersed with refined, drawn out soundscapes. Besides featuring Wergeland’s characteristic voice, the album also grants a starring role to quintessential singer Bart Smits (vocalist on the 1992-album Always…), neatly completing the circle.